Collectible Confederate Bonds

On Tuesday, November 24, 1987 Sotheby’s of London auctioned a large archive of Confederate bonds. The lot was described as “A major and extremely extensive archive of unredeemed bearer bonds issued by the Confederate States of America between 1861 and 1864, comprising over 87,000 individual certificates for numerous Loans authorized by Acts of The Confederate Congress.” This exceptional holding represented the entire surviving portfolio of Confederate Bonds. controlled by United Kingdom Trustees since the 1880s. The original objective of the Trustees was to get the Southern States debt paid following the Civil War. Of course, this dream had long since been abandoned.

One of the key collectors of Confederate bonds in the U.S. in the 1980s and 90s was Frederick R. Mayer of Denver, Colorado. His goal was to create world class collections that could be turned into books or catalogs, thus adding to the knowledge and pleasure of future collectors. That is exactly what Mr. Mayer accomplished with his extraordinary collection of Confederate bonds. Many of the great rarities were used to provide the plate illustrations in Ball’s “Confederate Bonds” book.

Recently, we were fortunate to purchase a large segment of Mr. Mayer’s collection of Confederate bonds. If you would like to add to your collection or if you would like to start a collection, this offering will give you an opportunity to buy some great bonds. Please contact us ask for George if you would like to build a fine collection of Confederate bonds.

Collectible William Tecumseh Sherman Autograph

One of America’s greatest army officers, William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) was born February 8, 1820 at Lancaster, Ohio, and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in 1840.

He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–65), for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched earth" policies that he implemented in conducting total war against the Confederate States. Military historian Basil Liddell Hart famously declared that Sherman was "the first modern general." He is also known for his "March to the Sea.".

This Riggs & Co check dated 1876-1880 is signed W.T. Sherman. Rare!!

More on German Young Bonds

In the 1920s and early 1930s, top investment banks in the United States were underwriting and promoting German bonds. The bonds met all the conditions for a prudent and low risk investment. Little did these investors know that the outbreak of World War II would stop all interest payments and it wouldn’t be until the 1950s that solutions to the problem would even be discussed.

West Germany did not want to appear to nullify their financial liability in the bonds, so a treaty, called the London Debt Agreement (LDA), was established under which West Germany took advantage. Political interference undermined the fair market process and a financial scandal of major proportions ensued,  fed by political hysteria, false accusations and unsubstantiated stories.


For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Old Stocks and Bonds and Old Stocks and Bonds
http://www.glabarre.com A foreign antique stock and bond company.

Reference: http://www.thecanadiancharger.com/page.php?id=5&a=549%20%3Chttp://www.thecanadiancharger.com/page.php?id=5&a=549%3E

History of German Young Bonds - Part One

In 1930, Germany offered $98.25 million of a bearer bond called “Young Bonds” subscription in the United States. Young Bonds were listed on the New York Stock Exchange and payable in New York City.

Young Bonds were backed by the full faith and credit of Germany, requiring the country to maintain sinking funds from various revenue sources. However, in July 1934, World War II began and Germany ceased making interest payments on the Young Bonds, thus making impossible any demands for payment or pursuit of remedies under the Bonds.

Following the war, Germany affirmed its pre-war liabilities. A payment plan was negotiated at the Conference on German External Debts in London, and on February 27, 1953, Germany, the United States, and seventeen other nations signed the London Debt Agreement (“LDA”),2 which resulted in a proposed settlement of most of Germany’s pre-World War II debts.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Old Stocks and Bonds and Old Stocks and Bonds
http://www.glabarre.com A foreign antique stock and bond company.

Chinese Government - Reorganization Gold Loan of 1913 - Brown

Country: China
Years: 1913
Brown £20 5%, German Bank Issue or French Indochina Issue. 42-43 Coupons.

Imperial Chinese Government Hukuang Railways bonds are well-nigh ubiquitous in the marketplace. They were issued in 1911 by a consortium of banks in London, Berlin, Paris and New York, with serial numbers running into the six digits, of which hundreds if not thousands appear to have survived.

A few bear New York State adhesive revenue stamps; shown here is a New York issue £100 bond with Secured Debt $1 and Investments $1 stamps paying New York’s Investments tax in 1917 and 1918; this secured for the bondholder exemption from that state’s onerous personal property tax.

Coupon bonds of this era are generally large and spectacular—American bonds typically measure about 10 by 15 inches—but this one sets new standards on both scores. It is huge, some 16 by 22 inches as shown. Its design and execution by security printers Waterlow & Sons of London are equally impressive, featuring the facsimile seals and signatures of China’s Minister of Posts and Communications and its Minister in Washington. Alongside is the countersignature of a representative of the New York banks J. P. Morgan & Co., Kuhn Loeb & Co., the First National Bank of the City of New York, and the National City Bank of New York.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and to my eye these Hukuang Railways bonds are among the most attractive pieces ever to bear stamps. Similar bonds issued in London, Berlin and Paris by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Deutsch-Asiatische Bank, and Banque de L’Indo-Chine, respectively, show the signatures of their representatives and of the Chinese Ministers to Great Britain, Germany and France.

Only the relatively few stamped bonds are philatelically interesting, but all are historically important.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Old Stocks and Bonds and Old Stocks and Bonds
http://www.glabarre.com A foreign antique stock and bond company.

1913 Chinese Reorganization Bonds

Imperial Chinese Government Hukuang Railways bonds are well-nigh ubiquitous in the marketplace. They were issued in 1911 by a consortium of banks in London, Berlin, Paris and New York, with serial numbers running into the six digits, of which hundreds if not thousands appear to have survived. A few bear New York State adhesive revenue stamps; shown here is a New York issue £100 bond with Secured Debt $1 and Investments $1 stamps paying New York’s Investments tax in 1917 and 1918; this secured for the bondholder exemption from that state’s onerous personal property tax.

In an effort to rebuild China's financial structure, the Chinese government issued bonds in four major world currencies: French, Russian, German and British (francs, rubles, marks and pound-sterling). The 1913 Chinese bonds were risky. They were issued only two years after centuries of rule by Chinese dynasties ended when a group of rebel warlords seized power.

The new government, in turn, succumbed to the Chinese communists led by Mao Zedong in the late 1940s.

China, 1913, Blue-Red. £100 5% Reorganization Gold Loan Bond, German Bank Issued. Uncancelled. 42-43 Coupons. Many coupons. Coupon bonds of this era are generally large and spectacular—American bonds typically measure about 10 by 15 inches—but this one sets new standards on both scores. Important to stress that these bonds have been bought up in recent years and pretty much taken off the market. As a result prices have risen rather dramatically. Excellent Condition!!! Price upon request.

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Stocks and Bonds
http://www.glabarre.com

German Bonds - Part One

In the 1920s and early 1930s, many people who were trying to limit their investment risks chose the Bond Market as a safe haven. Trying to mitigate as much risk as possible, those investors chose bond instruments that were guaranteed by sound sovereign governments such as the United States or Western European countries like Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Switzerland.

Specifically, they invested in German Gold Bonds starting with the “Dawes Bond” in 1924, followed by a multitude of others and ending with the “Young Bond” in 1930. These bonds were guaranteed by the German Government and backed by trustees like the Bank of International Settlements in Switzerland, J.P. Morgan and Citibank.

German Government International 5 1/2% Loan 1930 Uncancelled Bond.
Full page of coupons attached. Text in English, German, and French. Price on Request. Country: Germany Years: June 1, 1930 Condition: Excellent

For more information visit our web site, http://www.glabarre.com, or call George LaBarre at 1-800-717-9529.

George H. LaBarre Galleries - Collectible Old Stocks and Bonds and Old Stocks and Bonds http://www.glabarre.com A foreign antique stock and bond company.